How to do laundry while traveling (& packing light)

I just wanted to say, I saw the comments in the last few videos telling you they couldn’t afford merino and it was feeling out of touch. The fact that you’re dropping options in this video is awesome and shows you really care about your viewers ❤ just wanted to add that in :)

WTH??? I’m a nurse and germ phone. I do hotel laundry ALL THE TIME and it NEVER occurred to me to wash the sink first!! As an ICU nurse, one of the first things I learned was that the SINK IS THE DIRTIEST PLACE! Thank you so much.

One of my little luxuries when traveling to NYC (or any major city) is to use whatever wash-and-fold is close by, I also do this on the last day of my trip if I can, so I can carry home a bunch of clean laundry and just put it away. Usually it's US$10 and sure I could do it myself, but it's such a treat.

Nice video! I actually wash my clothes in the shower while I’m showering. May be weird but gets the job done.

Maurice, that was a very nice lesson on how to wash socks etc in a hotel sink. I think we forget to take care with washing and rinsing when travel. Especially in the very very small sinks in a hotel room. Also, I didn’t realize that cotton was such a problem with drying. Wrinkling I knew about but the drying issue is new to me. I think I also need to look into Marino wool. I’ve started using Marino wool socks exclusive but I’d like to find other items as well.

A blowdryer is a great tool to quickly dry clothes in a pinch, most hotel rooms have one or you can ask for one.

I have done this for years and my husband and friends laugh at me every time. This also allows you to pack less! I am passing your video to all of them letting them know I’m not the only one who does laundry.. thank you!!!!M👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

Been one bag traveling 15-20 times a year for the last 15 years. I only wear normal cotton t-shirts and have had zero issues with smelling bad or wrinkles.

I love these options a lot! Another option to save money is looking into laundry detergent sheets, like Earth's Breeze. I put a bunch in a ziplock bag, flatten it out to get all the air out & seal it. It literally takes up no room. To do soaks, just dissolve it in water before adding the clothes. You have to handle the sheets with dry hands otherwise they will melt & stick together, so take out what you need before you wash. Then if you use all the soap, you have an extra bag for storage!

What previous generations did in the UK at least, was to wear cotton under shirts or vests and cotton underwear and socks that they could change each day whilst wearing the same exterior clothes each day. Keeping the external clothes from smelling bad from your sweat and oils, and it's very hygienic for anyone even if they don't shower or bath daily :) . They just wiped clean any stains or blemishes when they happened with wet cotton cloth or damp handkerchief 👍

How clean you are with your shoes! I Never clean mine, I'm geologist though😂 I don't care about shoes, but watching you clean your very clean shoes made me want to wash mine before travel😂😂

Step on it, Maurice! Once you have rolled your garment in the spare towel,or bath mat, walk up and down on it a few times. That applies more pressure than you can do by twisting or pushing. Keep up the good work.

I use an Ortlieb PS10 drybag both as my wet gym kit bag and to do my laundry in - fill with clothes, add water and detergent (and sometimes a couple of small rubber agitator ball thingies) and seal, then happily mush the contents back and forth for fifteen minutes while watching youtube, then rinse and dry. That way i can get even quite large loads done in the same time as it takes to do small ones. And no worries about skin irritation from touching detergents.

One great advice, you deserve good quality clothes because they help you stay clean, and healty. Also if something is expensive see what are you wearing and how often it wears down as lesse quality items dont last as long. And then stop buying that item and save to get the great quality one. It helps you build slowly and then pack less as well

For detergent get soap sheets, such as earth breeze or others, to bring your own detergent and avoid any potential allergic reactions to unknown soaps. They take no space, and can give you peace of mind.

I was my clothes on all my trips too so that j can keep things in one 25 liter backpack when I travel. I buy quick dry clothing like the workout shirts and and shorts and just bring those with me. Whatever I wear in that day I hope in the shower and wash the clothes and then myself. I let it air dry the full day and repeat with my next outfit. I only pack two outfits so I always have fresh clothes. You take it to a whole nother level though and I appreciate that. I also appreciate the dry ex recommendation and will be going in to see what they have. Thanks for your video. I always appreciate them.

Thanks, Maurice, for your detailed and exacting explanations! I'm glad you added the towel trick at the end. That makes SUCH a difference in the dry time. Also, a fan or an A/C unit in the room to move the air makes a huge difference. I'm also a fan of merino wool because of all the reasons you give. Although they may be a little more pricey in the beginning, they will last and last. I've had my same four shirts for nine years, and no one else would ever be able to guess their age! Oh yeah, and one more one more thing: when I was being lazy, I'd wear my clothes into the shower, soap it down while still on me, and then do my final rinses in the sink. 😊

I have washed clothes in a sink quite a few times. I NEVER pack for more than 4 days. Washing clothing in a sink is quite simple. I use a body wash soap that I can also use for washing clothes. And, at least for me, rinsing them is usually just done when I take a shower. Best, is socks. I use hiking socks, so I can routinely get a couple days out of a pair. So long as one is dry, I am good. I usually only take a pair of socks for every 2 days I am away. I have practiced that for decades, with no ill effects.

I have travelled to Scotland twice with one backpack, and I used polyester shorts and shirts. Even with large clothes (3x and 4x), and spraying Coke over my mock turtleneck on the plane first trip, i survived with hand-washing essentials, a couple washer loads, and just being careful about getting dirty. I recommend Doc Martens or similar black boots, because they are a lot more resistant to dirt than white tennis shoes. Black Docs go with everything from shorts to just short of black tie. Also, consider hostels if privacy isn’t required. Most hostels have pay washers or will provide laundry services at reasonable prices.

Great video! We use a Scrubba bag instead of the sink. We also use an extra large chamois instead of a towel to get water out of the garments. Since we have cotton instead of wool, we shorten the drying time by using the hair dryer in the room.